Academic institutions of all sizes are tasked with balancing their budgetary constraints with the need to provide students and faculty the tools they need for success. As such, educational institutions and school districts are taking the lead in accessing the latest technologies to support the digital transformation of their classrooms. Investments in the right virtualization strategy are effectively providing on-demand learning services to students, faculty and staff across infrastructures of all shapes and sizes, culminating in a more efficient school day for teachers and students.

BPS has already embraced the value of the digital classroom and was already well on its way with an existing VDI footprint of three HVE-101-N appliances that supported 300 current users. This latest project expanded their environment from 300 to 900 concurrent users and provided VDI for several general-purpose labs, two advanced STEM Labs, and several classrooms.

Howard Technologies responded to the BPS Desktop Virtualization expansion Request for Proposal (RFP), and the solution was delivered and installed within two weeks of the close of the order to meet the requirements of BPS’s 2017 technology initiatives. This expansion helped BPS provide state of the art technology to their educational environment, enhanced their state mandated online testing, and expanded the capabilities of their STEM program.

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As stated by Alex Mitchell, IT Director of BPS, “The HVE solution was selected for several reasons, but ultimately the HVE next-generation hardware technology, performance, reliability, service, and overall TCO (total cost of ownership) made this decision easy. We really appreciate their turnkey offering that includes the automation of PCoIP zero clients (900), end user polices and controls through active directory, networking configurations, VMware Horizon View automation, and rapid hardware deployment with their integrated VMware appliances. HVE ConneXions provided a complete end-to-end solution that also included a server virtualization environment to support the control servers and high-availability requirements for end user access.”

Director of Purchasing for BPS, Kassie Bourque, stated, “The Howard proposal that included the HVE solution was a really easy decision for our school system. Reviewing the requirements and capabilities of vendors is a key aspect for our district to ensure our financial decisions provide the best solutions for our education community and long-term technology roadmap.”

Joseph O’Daniel, President of Virtualization and Professional Services for Sphere 3D stated, “We are grateful for the opportunity to work with such a great team at Biloxi Schools on their digital transformation initiatives. Their investment in advanced virtualization technologies frees up valuable time for BPS staff to invest in other aspects of their operations and continue to deliver the best possible learning environment for the students of Biloxi.”

About Howard TechnologiesHoward Technology Solutions, a value-added reseller, based out of Ellisville, Mississippi, strives to bring to market cutting-edge, reliable, high-quality technology equipment at affordable prices. Visit www.howardcomputers.com/education for more information on Howard Technology solutions for education.

About Sphere 3DSphere 3D Corp. (NASDAQ:ANY) delivers containerization, virtualization, and data management solutions via hybrid cloud, cloud and on-premise implementations through its global reseller network and professional services organization. Sphere 3D, along with its wholly owned subsidiaries Overland Storage, and Tandberg Data, has a strong portfolio of brands, including HVE ConneXions and UCX ConneXions, dedicated to helping customers achieve their IT goals. For more information, visit www.sphere3d.com. Follow us on Twitter @Sphere3D, @overlandstorage, and @tandbergdata.

About HVE ConneXionsHVE ConneXions, recently acquired by Sphere 3D, is a fast growing technology manufacturer of next generation storage and virtualization hardware. Its engineering philosophy is dedicated to creating Manageable, Scalable, Reproducible, and Predictable (MSRP) solutions based on proven virtualization technologies running on high-performance next generation hardware. For more information and technical specifications on the HVE product line, visit www.hveconnexions.com.

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